Lincolnshire people invited to understand more about autism this World Autism Awareness Week

Andy Hubbert

Did you know?:
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others

Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that everyone who has autism is affected by it differently

Both men and women can be autistic. There are around five times as many men and boys diagnosed with autism than women and girls, however, this may be attributed to a lack of understanding in the female presentation of autism

It’s a common myth that people ‘grow out’ of having autism. This is not true. Autistic children will grow up to be autistic adults

Many people on the autism spectrum have difficulty processing everyday sensory information. Any of the senses may be over- or under-sensitive, or both, at different times.

Autistic people often prefer to have a daily routine so that they know what is going to happen every day – this helps them make sense of a world that can seem confusing and unpredictable.

Lincolnshire Autism Partnership is urging people understand more about autism this World Autism Awareness Week (March 27 – April 2).

According to the partnership, at least 1 in 100 people in the UK are autistic, with an estimated 7,500 autistic people in Lincolnshire. Nationally, however, only 16 per cent of autistic people and their families think the public understand autism in a meaningful way.

Sharon Jeffreys, chairman of the Lincolnshire Autism Partnership Board says: “For autistic people everyday life, such as meeting people and going to places, can be extremely stressful.

“We want more people to understand autism better, so that they are able to accept and empathise with autistic people and their families.”